Car-step.



W. E. GILES.

CAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY OAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILEI? MAY 18,1912.

Patented F61).- 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wyn 1 0g MAW;

Arm/My TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' (masses.

Application filed May 18,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

1912. Serial No. 698,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. GILES, a

subject of George V, King of Great Britain View of my improved deviceapplied to a and Ireland, residing at New Haven, the county of New Havenand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a new and 1mproved car step, having for itsobject, among other things, to construct a device of this character,with two or more steps that will open or close synchronously, andcapable of operation by manual or other means; a further object being todesign the device that it may have great strength and rigidity and offew parts that may be economically constructed, readily assembled, andthe device as a unit applied to any car.

To these, and other ends, my invention consists in the car step, havingcertain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designatelike parts in the several figures; Figure 1 is an end car body; Fig. 2is a fragmentary side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an elevation of oneof the hangers, looking from the left of- Fig. 1, with some of the partsadjacent thereto; and Fig. 4: is an end elevation of a modified form ofmy invention.

Referring to the drawings, the car body is designated by the numeral 1,to which is secured a pluralityof hangers 2, within which I is rotatablymounted the shaft 3, preferably constructed of tubing. Upon this shaftare a plurality of dogs 4, to which is attached the lower'step 5, havinga toe board 6 upon the inner side thereof.

Upon the shaft 3, adjacent to the end hanger, is a dog 7 constructed insubstantially the same manner as the dogs 4, but

having a crank arm 8 thereon, to which is secured one end of a turnbuckle connection 9,. the'other end of which is secured to a hand lever10. This lever is pivotally mounted upon a stud 11 in the bracket 12,secured to the car body 1. The turn buckle connection 9 is constructedin the usual manner, the distance between thelever and crank arm beingadjustable through the central nut forming part thereof.

Upon the inner ends of the dogs 4 and 7 is a lug 13 that contacts with alug 14 into: I gral with the hangers 2 and thereby limits the movementof said dogs so as to hold the lower step 5 in a horizontal position andtake-the weight and pressure placed thereon. Movement of the lever 10upon its pivot mounting from the position shown in full lines to thatshown in broken lines, in Fig.1, rotates the shaft 3, and, the dogsconnected therewith through the turn buckle connection 9, and lifts thelower step 5 from its horizontal position to a substantially verticalposition that is shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. I

I have not shown the construction of the upper end of the lever 10, asit constitutes -n o part of my invention, any form or type of leverbeing adapted for this purpose, which may be locked by any preferredform of locking means so as to prevent accidental or impropermanipulation thereof. A lever may be located, however, at each end ofthe car, if desired, so that the person operating the car at either andmay raise or lower the steps.

Rotatably mounted in the hanger 2, between the car body 1 and the shaft3, is a shaft 15, also preferably made of tubing, upon which is secureda lurality of do 16, having a counter-weight 17 upon their inner ends,and to the outer ends of which is attached the upper step 18,- connectedwith the lower step by the chains 19. When the upper step 18 is in itshorizontal positio shown in Fig. 1, the counter-weight 17 contacts withthe underside of the body 1, so that the weight or pressure upon saidupper step is taken. by said body member. The

ingshown by broken lines in Fi 1.

The device herein illustrated and described is manually operated, but asmany cars are provided with air brakes, and hence have an air pressuresystem connected therewith, this may be utihzed for the purpose ofmovement of the lower step 5 fromits vertical to its horizontal positionimparts a like counter-weight 17, this vertical position be- '25 5 donotlimit myself to the exact construction operating "m improvedstep.Totake ad vantage of t issystem, I provide a cylinder 20, that isconnected to the body 1, and within which is movable the piston head 22that is connected with the arm 23, integral with thedog7 through apiston rod21. Air is admitted into the piston through a pipe .24 in awell known manner. rTheope'ration of the shaft 3 and the other parts ofmy improved device will be exactly the same through air pressure meansjust ,described as ifthe-said shaft were operated manually.Theflconstruction of the air cylinder and the means for admitting andtaking air I ations that can be made ithin ,myinvention, aside fromthose herein suggested, and I would therefore have it understood, that Iherein; shown andv described,'but claim all that fallsfifairly withinthe spirit and scope of lmy invention.

flaving. described my inventlon, what -I cla m as new and deslre tosecure by Letters P e i. is

. '1 In a device of the character described,

r the combination with a plurality of hangers,

designed for attachment to a car body; of parallel; shafts mounted insaid hangers;

. dogs l Pon one of said shafts that are limited intheir movement in onedirectihn by- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing, the Commissioner of IPatents,

- Washington, D. 0.

contact with said hangers; weighted dogs upon the other shaft; a stepsecured to the dogs upon each of said shafts; a connection,

between said steps; and adjustable means,

controlled from the body of the car, for operating one of said shafts.

2. Ina device of the character described, the combination with aplurality of hangers, designed for attachment to a carbody; of a shaftrotatably mounted therein adjacent to its lowerend; a second shaft alsorotatably mounted .t herein at. a point between said shaftand said carbody; a plurality of dogs connected with said lower shaft, having meansthereon that contact said hangers and limit the movement thereof in onedirec; t10n; 'a. step connecting all of said. dogs;

means connected with said shaft and controlled, from the body of the carfor impart-- mg a rotary movement to said shaft; a

.i of dog s econd shaft and having a counterweight upon one end thereof;a step attached to said last mentioned dogs; and a connection betweeneach of said steps.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a plurality of hangers, designed for attachment toa car body, said hangers having a laterally projecting arm at theirlower end; a shaft rotatablymountedin said arms;a plurality of dogsconnected with said. shafts, at least one of said dogs having ant-rankarm connectedtherewith; means connected withsaid. dogs for limitingtheir movement in one direction; a.

stepattached to each of said dogs;,means,j

connected with said crank arm, for rotating said shaft from the body ofsaid car; a sec-.. a

0nd shaft rotatably mounted in said hangers between said, firstmentioned shaft and r said car body; a plurality of dog sconnected withsaid second shaft, having counterweights upon one end thereof; a step-se-, cured to said last "mentioned, dogs; and a connection between eachof said steps. I

4. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a plurality of hang ers designed for attachment toa. car body;

of companion shafts mounted in said hangers; adjustable means forimpartingard; tary movement to one of sald shafts from said car-body;weighted means fortimparting a rotary movement to the other shaft to thedogs upon each of said sha' t'ts.

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination with hangers 2; .ofthe hanger to limit their movement inone direction; a dog ,7 upon said shaft 3 provided with a crank arm 8;astep 5 secured to said dogs 4 and]; a lever 10pivotally connected withthe car body; an adjustable connection between said lever and crankarms; dogs in one direction; a pluralityofjdOgS secured to each of saidshafts; and. a, step secured 16, having counter-weigl1ts 17 thereonfixed to the shaft 15; step 18 secured to said dogs 16;.and a connecticn19 betweensaid steps 5' and 18; allconstructedand operating subsignatureI stantially as described.

In testimony whereofl aflix' my in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. GILES. lVitnesses: '1

.Gnonon EIHALL,

WALLACE S. Morin.

